The present disclosure relates generally to protective helmets such as a ballistic helmet or other helmets having a similar construction, such as a ballistic tactical helmet for use by law enforcement personnel, military field or combat helmets, or the like. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an electrical power distribution system for a helmet, and a method and helmet employing the same, the power distribution system employing a circuit carried on a flexible circuit substrate to generally conform to the shape of the helmet, the flexible circuit substrate carrying thereon a conductive layer comprising conductive tracings, etchings, depositions, or the like, applied in a preselected pattern configured to provide the desired electrical connections between one or more electronic accessory devices or components attached or mounted to the helmet.
Commonly, a military ballistic helmet or the like is configured to carry one or more accessories or attachments, such as a flashlight, viewing optics and devices, such as a monocular, binoculars, monocular or binocular night vision goggle (NVG) devices (NVG, including enhanced night vision goggle devices (ENVG)), thermal imaging devices, cameras, friend or foe identification (IFF) systems, and so forth.
The helmet may be provided with a plurality of openings or holes therein for mounting such accessories to the helmet or for receiving fasteners or other mounting mechanisms or hardware such as threaded fasteners, brackets, grommets, etc. By way of example, the front of a helmet may have openings and holes for mounting an accessory such as a flashlight or a bracket or shroud which can accept a helmet mount for a viewing device as described above. Similarly, holes or vias through the ballistic material may be provided in order to provide an electrical connection between a power supply mounted at one location on the helmet, e.g., at the rear of the helmet, and an accessory or device located at another position on the helmet, e.g., by running an electrical cable along the interior of the helmet. Such hardware or openings which penetrate the ballistic shell, either partially or completely, compromise the anti-ballistic properties of the helmet in these regions. The number and complexity of helmet mounted components are increasing, and such components may be computer or microcontroller-based and controlled through the use of electronic signals and sensors, thus resulting in larger and more complex wiring assemblies and posing difficulties in installing such devices while maintaining the ballistic integrity of the helmet.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved method of integrating accessory mounting and electrical interconnection devices to the surface of a ballistic or non-ballistic helmet which could replace the wiring typically used for electrical power, data, and/or signal transmission and which would reduce wiring complexity, simplify helmet assembly and device attachment.